Epilogue
Michelle
Two Years Later
I was gutted when the doctor suggested my body may not be able to handle another pregnancy full-term. I mean, thirty-six weeks was pushing it. We were lucky Jake came out perfectly healthy.
On the upside, though, we started the adoption process last year. Even with money on our side, Devon and I were put through the ringer when it came to the application process. Not to mention, the countless interviews. We were to the point of fostering a little boy, but his mom got her life together and decided to keep him. My hopes were already up. I still, until this day, pray for that little boy, even though we didn’t even know his name.
Today, we’re celebrating, though. Not only is it Jake’s second birthday, but we got the call that our daughter is ready to come home from the hospital. She was born dependent on drugs from her mother. When the caseworker told us she could have many health problems, we didn’t care. We’d take her any way we could get her. The odds were in our favor, and she’s healthy and so damn beautiful. We’ll have our hands full with Jake and Ella. In the past two weeks, I was basically admitted into the hospital. I missed our home, not to mention tucking Jake into bed nightly. Devon and our parents are the real MVPs, Devon working from home while taking care of Jake the majority of the time, and our parents picking up so he could come up here or bringing him up here so he could meet his sister. It was the sweetest thing to watch the two of them together, even if all he was doing was holding her.
“Ready to take our princess home?” Devon comes into the hospital room.
“I’m beyond that and ready to celebrate Jake’s birthday. It’s the best of both worlds. We are so unbelievably blessed. Have I told you lately how much I love you and how thankful I am to have you in my life?”
“We truly are, and no, I don’t suppose I’ve heard that lately,” he says with a smirk, knowing damned good and well how much I love him and how thankful I am. I mean, sure, being in the hospital puts a damper on some things, but once we’re home and settled, I plan on showing him just how much I love him.
“We’re a team, baby, and you know I love you more than anything.” His lips press a kiss to my forehead. “We have quite the crowd at our home; I hope you don’t mind. Between our parents and Lincoln with his clan, it may not be quiet today or even tonight.” He wiggles his eyebrows.
“I think we can make something work. There’s always a shower, Mr. Anderson,” I offer.
“Yes, there is, Mrs. Anderson, and I know just how to keep my mouth shut.” I wink at him. He knows exactly what I’m referring to. In fact, before we got the call about Ella, I had him in my mouth, tasting everything he had to give me.
“Oh, if we’re going there, I have a place you can sit.” He licks his lips. There isn’t much that will make me blush, but that definitely will.
“You win. Let’s get our bundle of joy home to meet her family.”
“Baby, I won the day I walked into your salon. Every day after has been icing on the cake.” We leave, heading home to work on our happily ever after as a family of four.
Our lives have been more than amazing, and I can’t wait to see what the years bring us along the way.